In the footwear industry, a counter functions to help hold the shoe on the foot, lend support to the wearer's heel and foot, and give the shoe an attractive shape. In the last twenty years, it has become common practice in the shoe manufacturing process to form the counter area or back part of the shoe with specially designed thermoforming machinery using a thermoplastic counter stiffener. This molding process is known as lasting.
Prior to lasting, these counter stiffeners are either inserted in a pocket between the lining and the upper of the shoe or they incorporate a surface which is also the lining of the shoe, in which case the counter stiffener with the lining surface is stitched into the quarter area of the shoe which holds it in place before molding and/or lasting.
The surface applied to the counter stiffener varies with the particular industry. In the canvas footwear industry typically 52"-220 drills or a coated osnaburg is used. In the conventional manufacturing footwear industry, nylon flock surfaces are used with low quality footwear and nonwoven fabrics, such as needle-punched polyester saturated with nitrile rubber, are used with high quality footwear.
A principal property of a counter is its stiffness. To produce a low cost counter of suitable stiffness, various thermoplastic laminates, with or without a fabric coating, have been suggested.
My invention broadly comprises a counter material and a method of making the counter material which has a thermoplastic, core sheet and at least one molecular orientated thermoplastic sheet bonded to one side thereof to impart stiffness to the core sheet. Another sheet, such as a fabric-like material, can be laminated or bonded to the other side. Depending on the use of the counter, an orientated sheet can be laminated or bonded to both sides of the core sheet.
Broadly my invention comprises a counter having a thermoplastic core sheet and a compatible orientated thermoplastic sheet bonded to one side thereof. The method of the invention comprises laminating to a thermoplastic core sheet an orientated compatible thermoplastic sheet.